Bollwerk whistles silently. "A neat trick"
Lucille gives a quick yank on the strap with her whip, and with a shower of dust and dirt, a well worn backpack comes falling off of the ledge. A quick move by Kazul snatches the pack out of the air before it hits the ground.
A quick perusal and some work from those with the ability to detect magic nets you a masterwork backpack containing 10 days of rations, a flint and steel, a set of caltrops, two flasks of oil, a bundle of 12 arrows, a potion of cure light wounds, and a potion of lesser restoration.
Fabian nods. "This will be useful. I hate to think, however, to what happened to the poor soul who left this behind. We should be alert."
Once that is taken care of, Kazul leads the party through the cave.
Dieter follows behind dutifully, keeping an eye out for any dangers.
Seraphyna, who had been quiet, trying to focus on her hand, continues on with the group as they travel. I did it before, making a ghostly hand to grab something. I guess without the motivation of a stolen cookie, it didn't want to come out and be useful. Stupid magics, why don't you come out! Shaking her hand repeatedly, she lets out a surprised "EEp!" when a small bolt of lightning shoots out and cracks a nearby rock.
Lucille removes the bundle of arrows from the pack and puts them in her quiver, then hands the rest of the pack off to someone strong. As Kazul leads the way into the cave, she falls back into her rearguard position.
After a few minutes, Bollwerk asks the blind elf, if he knows how the defenses could have failed. He expresses his hope to find some more survivors.
Once the supply windfall has been divvied up, Kazul again takes point and you begin moving through another tunnel. After a little while, Aravashnial speaks:
"I do not know how the defenses could have been breached." He begins. "But you all saw the explosion just prior to the arrival of the demonic hordes. The Kite was a mighty fortress, built to hold the greatest of the Wardstones. The fortress was simply...gone. It doesn't take years of study to guess that the wardstone must have gone with it. But where it may have gone, or if it was destroyed with the Kite, I do not know." He sighs. With a rueful smile, he adds, "I suspect we will all find out soon enough."
Anevia says softly from the elf's side, where she is helping to guide him. "This is not the first time the Kenabres Wardstone has been attacked."
No indeed, it is not. Some years ago, the Storm King Karramzedeh managed to crack the Wardstone. He nearly died in that attempt, and only fickle fortune saved him from Terendelev's wrath." He adds, nodding agreement.
Up ahead, Kazul halts the party as he comes upon another cave opening.
Fabian stays aware, looking and listening for anything that there might be out there to be heard....
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Making sure everyone is safe, she then smiles at the acquisition of the potions. "With my ability to heal somewhat limited, these will come in handy. But I suggest someone else take them. I can't be in two places at once, after all." She jumps though as Seraphyna pops off the little lightning. "Easy there...
As they approach the cave opening, she strains her eyes and ears, hoping beyond hope it's clear...
[spoiler]Rolling Perception as requested n_n
"I was taught not to think about what to do in the future, but concentrate what has to be done now. But this information will give us some hints, as soon as we are out."
Lucille listens as the elf talks about the attack on wardstones. That one should disapppear sounds...bad. She keeps her eyes and ears open as they move up to the cave.
Halting when everyone else pauses, Sera tries to look past the group into the darkness beyond. However, being near the back, she is doubtful she spots anything more than what those in front see, at least until she spots an earthworm wriggling through the earthen wall. Interesting how they scrunch up and then streth out to move, I wonder if that would help me any? as she begins squatting into a tiny ball before stretching up to be fullest height... which still doesn't get her past the mid 3' range.
"Above us, too," Fabian whispers. "Something hissing, ahead in the darkness."
Bollwerk whispers to the three non-combatants."Stay back, please. We will encounter some things, dogsize. We will take care of this obstacle!". Slowly moving forward he readys his weapons.
Lucille carefully watches the rear, unaware of any impending danger on the path ahead. As whispers make their way back to her, she turns her attention to possible creatures ahead of the group.
Kazul looks for the serpent using his darkvision, falchion gripped in one hand, javelin in the other, ready to strike!
Bollwerk whispers to Seren:"Do you have a light orison. I can borrow you my sling. If you could sling some light ahead we would be prepared!"
"I can summon light," Fabian whispers to Bollwerk. He will defer to Seren, but if she doesn't cast Light on one of Bollwerk's sling bullets, then Fabian will.
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Seren nods, accepting the sling. "I'll try my best." She takes one of the sling bullets and holds it in her hand. "Bealtaine solais a threorú dhuit. As it begins to slowly light up, she places it the swing, offering one more prayer to Desna for help. With a little wind up, she tosses the glowing orb ahead.
The bullet flies a low arc through cave, bouncing twice before it comes to a halt on the hard-packed dirt floor. The hissing grows sharp and loud for a second, then stops. Illuminated within the circle of light are two large insects, looking very angry.
Dieter strides forward, drawing a chakram as he walks. He reaches up toward the ceiling of the cavern and hurls the bladed disc overhand at the nearest insect.
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Her eyes growing wide, Seren drops to one knee.
"Mhuire na gealaí, a dheonú dúinn do chabhair!"
A small glow emanates from her, as if bathed in starlight. Motes of this quickly fly forth from her, surrounding her allies, filling them with both a serene feeling and sharpening their senses for the coming fight.
Kazul waits for the attack.
Fabian moves forward near his companions and holds up his staff, and a transparent globe of blue light quickly explodes out from him, filling a sphere 10 feet in radius around Fabian. "Stay close to me for added protection!" he says to the others.
Using Protective Ward school ability. For the next 3 rounds, Fabian and allies within 10 feet of him gain a +1 Deflection bonus to AC.
Kazul waits for the attack.
Hissing as they come, the giant insects clamber over the rock piles in the cavern and attack!
Two rush at Dieter, their mandibles clacking together as they bite at him.
Kazul has a fraction of a second to react, ducking back as another insect drops from the ceiling to bite at him!
Further back, at the edge of the light, you see more shapes moving along the walls and ceiling...
"Is everything down here some sort of insect? Whatever happened to wholesome foes...like worgs?"
Lucille stepped up, gun in hand, until she was right behind the front line of fighters. Then she shoots at one of the bugs on Dieter.
[BAB+Bless+PBS-In Combat]
Raising his sword high Bollwerk will move up to support his comrades.
Seraphyna, realizing she forgot to get ready when she heard the sounds, quickly pulls out and loads her tiny crossbow. I do hope to do something to help this time, if I'm going to help these people, I want it to be more than just cleaning their laundry.
Kazul drops his javelin, grips falchion and swings it at insect in front of him!
Dieter flashes his rapier in a blur of motion, attempting to sweet away the mandibles of one of the giant cockroaches and find a soft spot in their carapace.
He then spins around and hops forward, bringing his sword to bear and attempting to skewer from behind the vermin assaulting Kazul.
Use Opportune Parry and Riposte against Giant Cockroach 1. If successful, I get a free attack
I take a 5-foot-step west and flank Giant Cockroach 2.
My free attack from OPaR also threatened a critical.
Seraphyna pulls out her crossbow and loads a small bolt.
The thunder of the musket rings in your ears as a bullet smashes into one of the roaches on Dieter.
Kazuls falchion sings as it carves a leg off his insectoid adversary.
As Bollwerk moves to a flanking position, the roach snaps at him, mandibles catching nothing but air as he passes! The paladin's return swing is just as ineffective, as his sword glances off the hard shell.
Horgus Gwerm bends over nearly double, staggering forward. "Giant bugs! I think I'm going to be ill...BLUGRGH..." He vomits onto the floor, nearly hitting Sweet Lucille in the process. The stench wafts out, drawing loud hisses from the roaches and sending them into a frenzy!
Fabian runs forward so that the protective aura around him will apply to some the people in the front line. Once there, he will point his finger at the further cockroaches engaging Dieter; an icy ray shoots out of it towards the insect. Fabian does his best to aim around the people in front of him, and to hit the insect despite the shifting of its skirmish with Dieter.
Move forward to I5. Fire a Ray of Frost at whichever of the two cockroaches in column 10 is still alive; the one in I10, if both are.